What if
by requiem21
Summary: Been there,done that. Chloe helping out,Jack making out of a mess at is how it had ended four years at is how it will end now.Or maybe not.What if Jack had thwarted the terrorist attack with Chloe's assistance?What if she never got abducted by the Russians?What if Jack finally did what was long overdue?Alternate take on how their relationship could have progressed.


Chloe O'Brian rummages through her things. Though only the bare minimum, but _her_ things nonetheless. She closes down her work station, pulls out the plugs and prepares to leave. Adrian's words play in her mind, over and over again.

"We have been in contact with the CIA..."

Within moments her location will be traced back to this place. She knows she is good, but not that good. The government, with all the technologies at its disposal... it won't take long. And she needs to get the hell out of there before they close in on her. She needs to flee. But where?

She cannot go back to the Open Cell, she had her chance there and she let go of that the moment she had decided to stay back and help Jack see this through. Of course, there was the threat to London... all those innocent people losing their lives, but had it not been for Jack, then perhaps...

She shakes herself away from her reflections. There will be time for those later. With unhurried quickness, she disconnects the main power line for their hide-out.

It is then that she suddenly hears a sound - a shuffling sort of sound. Panic-stricken for a second, she wonders if she had underestimated her captors. To her relief, a familiar gruff voice proves her wrong. At the same time it fills her with apprehension. And a feeling that she cannot quite place.

"Chloe"

"Jack", she tries to keep her voice as neutral as possible. _Damn, I shouldn't have disconnected the power_ , she thinks to herself. With the lights of nearby buildings filtering in, she can only make out his silhouette. _He must look like hell,_ she feels.

" Chloe..." Jack tries to speak again. It's getting harder and harder for him. "For all that you did today... for me... out there.."

"I did what I thought was right Jack", she interrupts. She is getting irritated. She feels like getting dragged into an age old play. With her playing the same character, over and over and over again... reciting the same lines, hearing the same response. She almost thinks she knows what each of them will say now.

" I know", he says. " And I also know you did it because of me"

 _Same lines, same response,_ she muses. She tries again to speak.

"Listen Jack, You are my friend... and yes, I also have my conscience to answer to... So I did whatever I did... No need to make a big deal out of it... But I'm running out of time, they will eventually show up here and I need to be gone, so..."

"Where?", he moves in closer.

"huh?"

"Where will you go?"

" Well", Chloe shifts uncomfortably. She doesn't want to make Jack feel guilty because of her problem, but she cannot lie. He'll see right through it. "Well, Adrian's group is not an option. So, I'll figure something out."

She thinks he gets her unspoken words. _She has nowhere to go._

"Oh, Chloe...", he speaks, as if in pain. She cannot really see his expression, but she knows how his face might be right this moment.

"... Come here", he takes her by her arm and embraces her. They stay like that for a while.

After what seems an eternity of silence, Jack speaks up.

" How long do you have?", his voice a bare whisper. His breath on the back of her neck making her tingle.

" Some time...", she tries not to be specific, for the first time in her life. He gets that, somehow.

But the next thing he says, jolts her from her comfort zone. For the first time, it is not _same line, same response._

" Come with me"

"What? Where?" she breaks the embrace to get a better look at his face. " Jack, you don't have to do this. I knew... "

"Chloe, listen to me", he interrupts, his voice low. " Four years ago, you had to sacrifice your career because of me. You lost your family because of me. And today you don't have anywhere to go. Because of me. So I'm asking you to please let me do this. Please come with me. There are many mistakes I've made, just let me make this one thing right."

"And go with you where, Jack?" she blurts out before she can think. She mentally slaps herself that instant.

"Don't know... but I've been on the run before... I know how to do it right... You don't. And after what I've done to you... I can't let you face it alone."

Chloe feels tears welling up inside her. All of a sudden she is threatened with a feeling of vulnerability. She fears she is about to break.

And she does.

"Jack... You shouldn't have done that" she starts rambling before she can check herself. " You should've just got on to the flight with Kim that day" she feels those tears bottled up inside her break loose. She thinks perhaps she is saying too much, but she goes on anyway. "All the time before Renee... " her mind works fast this time and she somehow mitigates the damage, " before what happened to Renee, all you were saying was that... was that you had a flight to catch... but you never got to catch that flight... Everything just went downhill..."

At last Chloe realises that she needs to stop. She has already said too much. All those thoughts, caged inside her heart, she has finally let those out. It felt good.

Jack remains silent. Chloe tries to figure out what might be going inside his head.

All of a sudden he pulls her back to him, closing the distance. She feels the roughness of his thumb on her cheek, wiping away the tears she didn't know were there. Something about the whole thing feels different to her. Not to mention the sensation of his breath on her face. Within seconds, with rapid processing, her mind figures out the exact sequence of future actions. And vehemently tries to deny it.

But her body doesn't. At least not when she feels Jack's face move closer to hers. And not when she feels his lips on hers. His lips stay there, as if asking for permission. Her body permits. Somewhere at the back of her mind, a voice warns her that things might be going too far. But again, mind had taken a backseat the moment she had felt his breath on her face.

She parts her lips.

They kiss.

With an urge. Not the urge of the lust driven, but that of two people trying to drown their common sorrow, sharing in their grief and letting the other know that they understand.

After what seems like an hour, but in reality might be just seconds, they disengage.

With horror, Chloe realizes they have crossed a line they never knew was there. And there's no going back. Not that she would want to. But what if Jack wants to?

"Chloe... it'd be fine"

 _What would be fine? How can things be fine? Now? Now that they have kissed?_

"Jack.." she starts but is interrupted by the touch of Jack's finger on her lips.

"Let's go", he drags her out.


End file.
